Austria to push for ‘stop-the-clock’ on deforestation rules at Council

Austria will spearhead a push at the Council this week to “stop the clock” on the bloc’s deforestation rules until the end of 2026, as part of efforts to buy time and secure tweaks that would exempt most European countries from compliance with the sustainability rules.

As part of a world first regulatory push, the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) requires importers of cocoa, coffee, palm oil, cattle, timber, and rubber to prove their products did not cause deforestation.

The European Commission proposed last month to reopen the rules to ease implementation and avoid overburdening the IT system needed to share compliance data.

In a note dated 31 October and designed to steer debate in Council, Vienna said that the Commission’s proposal “falls short of expectations,” criticising the executive for backtracking on an earlier idea to grant a one-year delay for all companies.

The text will be discussed by EU environment ministers at their Council meeting in Brussels on Tuesday.

A diplomatic source said that at least 13 countries could be aligned with Austria’s demands.

Austria argues for an “immediate stop-the-clock” on EUDR implementation for one year “until simplifications have been concluded,” saying there is not enough time to change the rules before they take effect in December.

Vienna is also calling for some countries to be classified as “no risk” of deforestation, for a minimum threshold below which the rules would not apply, and for lighter requirements along the value chain.

“Sustainable forest management is part of Austria’s DNA,” Agriculture and Environment Minister Norbert Totschnig told Euractiv via email on Saturday. “However, in its current form, the EUDR risks penalising those who are already practising sustainable forest management,” he added.

Last week, agriculture ministers rebuked the Commission’s plan to maintain the enforcement date for most companies this year, criticising the lack of time for negotiations

At a closed-door meeting on Wednesday, EU ambassadors also voiced concerns, with a majority backing a one-year delay but diverging on how to adapt the rules to ease compliance.

Even to delay the legislation, the Council and European Parliament would need to reach an agreement by 15 December – the final opportunity for a plenary vote in Strasbourg before the end of the year.

(jp)